Oakland International Airport Director Deborah Ale Flint Begins Service To Advise U.S. Transportation Secretary On Consumer Protections For Air Travel06/28/2012

Deborah Ale Flint Director of AviationPort of Oakland

-- Representative of Airport Operators on Four-Person Committee --

Oakland, Calif. – June 28, 2012 – Deborah Ale Flint, Director of Aviation for the Port of Oakland, which owns and operates Oakland International Airport (OAK), today is in Washington, DC, for the first meeting of the Aviation Consumer Protection Committee, created to advise the Department of Transportation (DOT) on protecting and strengthening the rights of consumers when they fly.

Ms. Ale Flint, who is the primary executive responsible for the operation, management and development of OAK, is part of the newly-formed, four-person committee to evaluate current aviation consumer protection programs and make recommendations to DOT Secretary Ray LaHood for improving them. The agenda for today’s kick-off meeting, held in the U.S. DOT headquarters building, includes the opportunity for input by representatives of airlines, travel agents, airport operators, state and local governments, and consumer and other public interest groups.

On behalf of OAK and other airport operators, Deborah Ale Flint said, “It is truly a privilege and an honor to be a part of this advisory committee and recommend policy and procedures that ensure aviation consumer rights are protected.” She continued, “My focus as the representative of airports, which are powerful economic engines across this country, is to promote collaboration on these important issues. At OAK, we strive to meet the needs of passengers and to promote a business environment that offers choice, fairness and value to all.”

The other committee members are Lisa Madigan, Illinois Attorney General, who chairs the committee; David A. Berg, Senior Vice President at Airlines for America; and Charles Leocha, Director of the Consumer Travel Alliance.

Ms. Ale Flint was appointed to the Aviation Consumer Protection Committee in May 2012, and will serve her term until it expires on Sept. 30, 2015. The committee, established by the FAA Reauthorization and Reform Act, is designed to evaluate existing aviation consumer protection programs as well as recommend needed improvements. Future meetings, which are open to the public, will be held four times in each 12-month period starting after May 24, 2012, with time and place published in the Federal Register.

About the Port of Oakland: The Port of Oakland oversees the Oakland seaport, Oakland International Airport, and 20 miles of waterfront. The Oakland seaport is the fifth busiest container port in the U.S.; Oakland International Airport is the second largest San Francisco Bay Area airport offering over 350 daily passenger and cargo flights; and the Port’s real estate includes commercial developments such as Jack London Square and hundreds of acres of public parks and conservation areas. Together, through Port operations and those of its tenants and users, the Port supports over 73,000 jobs in the region and nearly 827,000 jobs across the United States. The Port of Oakland was established in 1927 and is an independent department of the City of Oakland, CA, USA. Connect with the Port of Oakland and Oakland International Airport through Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, and at portofoakland.com.